Moving and storage wardrobe container



Dec. 27, 1966 l M, F. NOTK@ ETAL v 3,294,221

MOVING AND STORAGE WARDROBE CONTAINER 2 Sheets-$heet 2 Filed NOV. 13, 1964 N VNTORS' E MICHAEL F NOTK@ JOHN F. ZOELUN" ATT'YS United States Patent Otitice 3,294,221 Patented Dec. 27, 1966 3,294,221 MOVING AND STORAGE WARDROBE CONTAINER Michael F. Notko, North Riverside, and John F. Zoellin,

Wheaton, Ill., assignors to Druth Packaging Corp., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 410,902 6 Claims. (Cl. 206-7) This invention relates to a moving and storage wardrobe container, and is particularly useful for the moving and storage of garments in the garment moving and storage'eld.

Corrugated board containers having hanger bars at their top have been employed for the storage and moving of garments, and in such structures itis common to use a container having end flaps brought together and sealed with tape. Unfortunately, the tape has to be severed at the time of discharge of the garments and the container is rendered unsightly by the remaining portions of tape, and such container is plainly marked as a used container. Since it is desirable to reuse such containers, the valve of the container after the severing of the tape is greatly reduced. Further, in the -use of such containers, the access door, which is formed in one side wall of the container, is usually not drawn tightly enough to exclude dust, and in the taping of the container the access door may be left with a substantial gap.

Because of the above difficulties, a shipping container for garments is often equipped with a telescoping top portion which fits down over the access door, but here the expense of the structure is substantially increased, and here again tape is required for securing the two box portions together.

If it were possible to provide a single unitary wardrobe container which could be shipped in knocked-down condition and quickly assembled, and which could be sealed without the use of tape and in such a manner as to insure that the access door is drawn tightly to a dust-resistant closure, a substantial advance in the art can be achieved.

An object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages described above and to produce a wardrobe container achieving the above-mentioned new results. A further object is to provide a container and method of closing the same whereby the access door is drawn to a taut and tight sealing position automatically when the top of the container is closed. A further object is to pro Vide an improved flap or tongue structure in the flaps of the container for sealing the areas around the hanger bar for the exclusion of dust, moisture, etc. Other specic objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is shown, in an illustrative embodiment, by the accompanying drawings, in which- FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a container wardrobe embodying our invention; FIG. 2, a view similar to FIG. l but showing the structure in position for the final latching and closing of the access door; FIG. 3, a view similar to FIG. l but showing the details of structure in the access door and top flaps; and FIG. 4, a plan View of the corrugated board pieces after scoring and cutting and prior to assembly into the fabricated container.

In the illustration given, 10 designates end panels which are provided at their tops with end flaps 11, each of the aps being provided with latching slots 12 and with sealing tongues 13. The sealing tongues 13 are cut away on three sides but crimped at an inner side 14 to provide a hinge.

The side panels 15 are preferably wider than the end panels 10, and each of the panels is provided with a side flap 16 having the corners cut away to provide inwardlyturned latching flaps 17. One of the side panels designated by the numeral 15a is scored or crimped at an intermediate point 18 to provide a hinged access door 19.

The bottom of the container may be sealed in any desired way. We prefer, however, to form the bottom of the container in the same manner as described above for the top of the container except that no access door is provided. In other words, the panels 10 are provided with bottom tlaps 11a similar to flaps 11 which are provided with slots 12a, and the side panels 15 are likewise provided with side aps 16a having latching tabs 17a.

The front side panel 15a is shown connected to an end panel 10 by tape 20, and the rear side panel 15 is shown connected to an end panel 10 by a tape21.

In the fabrication of the container, two die-cut flats of corrugated board are employed, as shown best in FIG. 4. The various iiaps and slots and tabs which have been heretofore described are fonned in the two-fiat strips and the same are brought together and united by tapes 20 and 21 or by any other suitable means. If desired, the entire structure can be formed from a single die-cut board which is then crimped to form the four sides, two of the sides being finally joined by tape or other means.

The latching bar 22 is preferably formed of metal and is provided at its ends with downwardly-turned flanges or hooks 23.

Operation In the operation of the structure, the container may be shipped in collapsed condition to the place of use, the hanger bar being removed. When the container is to be expanded and set up for use, it may be moved to the box position shown in FIGS. 1-3, and the bottom first set up by moving the flaps 11a inwardly and then folding the side flaps 16a over the end aps and pressing the latching tabs 17a into the slots. The hanger bar 22 may then be placed in position, as shown best in FIG. 3, and it will be noted that the tongue 13 enables the ange 23 at each end of the bar to be slipped into the opening provided by the tongue. When the end flaps are then folded inwardly, the tongues 13 rotate around the bar and onto the top thereof to form a snug seal about the top of the bar, thus excluding dust, etc. from the container. In the preferred operation, we next draw the rear side flap 16 forwardly, as shown in FIG. 2, and latch the corner tabs 17 within the adjacent slots 12 in both end flaps 11. This procedure stabilizes the end flaps, and in the operation the hanger bar 22 serves as a rigid anvil to support the united end flaps 11. The access door 19 may then be drawn upwardly, and the end flap thereof pressed over the stabilized end ilaps 11. As the latching tabs 17 are then pressed into the remaining slots 12 of the end flaps 11, the access door 19 is drawn snugly and tightly against the sides of the end panels to form a closure effective in excluding dust, moisture, etc. With this structure, there is an insurance against negligence of workmen in the sealing operation because the access door is automatically sealed when the latching tabs 17 are pressed within the slots 12 of the end ilaps 11. With the tongues 13 of the end flaps 11 efectively closing the area about the hanger bar 22 and with the access door 19 drawn tautly to a closed position, the interior of the container is eifectively sealed against the entrance of dust, moisture, etc.

While in the foregoing specification we have set forth a specific structure in considerable detail for the purpose of illustrating the invention, it will be understood that such detail or details may be varied widely by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of our invention.

We claim: y

1. A moving and storage wardrobe container, comprising an elongated container having a closed bottom and having side and end panels provided at their tops with side and end sealing aps, one of said sides being transversely crimped at an intermediate point to provide an access door adjacent the ap thereof, a hanger bar extending through said end flaps and resting on said end panels, each of said top end aps having latching slots on either side of said bar and parallel with said side panels, and each of said side aps having inwardlyturned tabs for latching engagement with the slots of said end flaps.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said container is collapsible and has also at its bottom slotted end aps and tab-equipped side ilaps for interlocking engagement.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which the latching tabs of said side aps are corner tabs.

4. The structure of claim 1 in which the top end flaps are partially cut away adjacent their junction with the end panels to provide openings for receiving the hanger bar and to provide also integral tongues overlying and sealing about the ends of the hanger bar.

5. A corrugated board wardrobe container, comprising an elongated container having a closed bottom and having side and end panels provided at their tops with sealing flaps, one of said sides being transversely scored at an intermediate point to provide an access door adjacent the flap thereof, said end sealing aps also being partially cut away to provide integral tongues having an opening adjacent the junction with the end panels, a hanger bar extending through said tongue openings and having aps extending along the sides of said end panels, each of said top end aps having latching slots on each side thereof and parallel with said side panels, and each of said side flaps having inwardly-turned corner tabs for latching engagement with the slots of said end flaps.

6. In a process for closing a moving and storage corrugated board container equipped at its top with a hanger bar and having side and end panels equipped at their top with side and end aps, the end panels being slotted near each side and the side panels being provided with latching tabs, one side panel being transversely scored at an intermediate point to provide an access door, the steps of first latching the side flap opposite the access door over the inwardly-folded end aps to stabilize the end flaps, and then drawing the access door over the stabilized end flaps and pressing the latching tabs thereof into the remaining slots of the end flaps to draw the access door taut.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,807,354 9/1957 Belsinger 206-7 2,838,356 6/1958 Lane 312-259 3,026,996 3/1962 Belsinger 2067 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

MARTHA L. RICE, Examiner. 

1. A MOVING AND STORAGE WARDROBE CONTAINER, COMPRISING AN ELONGATED CONTAINER HAVING A CLOSED BOTTOM AND HAVING SIDE AND END PANELS PROVIDED AT THEIR TOPS WITH SIDE AND END SEALING FLAPS, ONE OF SAID SIDES BEING TRANSVERSELY CRIMPED AT AN INTERMEDIATE POINT TO PROVIDE AN ACCESS DOOR ADJACENT THE FLAP THEREOF, A HANGER BAR EXTENDING THROUGH SAID END FLAPS AND RESTING ON SAID END PANELS, EACH OF SAID TOP END FLAPS HAVING LATCHING SLOTS ON EITHER SIDE OF SAID BAR AND PARALLEL WITH SAID SIDE PANELS, AND EACH OF SAID SIDE FLAPS HAVING INWARDLYTURNED TABS FOR LATCHING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SLOTS OF SAID END FLAPS. 